Who Should Direct Bond 23?

Colonel ShatnerColonel Shatner Chavtastic Bristol, BritainPosts: 574MI6 Agent
While Quantum of Solace garnered more mixed reviews and Marc Foster has been called into question over he artistic decisions concerining the Bourne style action scenes, who do you think could do a good job with Bond 23?

My top choices are Ridley Scott, Roger Spottiswoode, and Alfonso Cuarón.
'Alright guard, begin the unnecessarily slow moving dipping mechanism...'
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Comments

  • Pud2002Pud2002 Posts: 65MI6 Agent
    Martin Campbell back again please :)
  • Maherj1Maherj1 Posts: 21MI6 Agent
    As much as Id love to see Martin Campbell back I must say Cuaron is an inspired choice.

    He's shown he can do it all with Y Tu Mama Tambien (Drama/Comedy), Harry Potter (Fantasy) and Children of Men (Action).

    There's also that jaw dropping action scene near the end of children of Men thats like the anti-Marc Foster scene..basically just one long take and all the action plays out in front of the camera. Its a tremendous bit of filmmaking.

    He's also a very innovative and edgy director so he would keep things fresh and interesting. Would be a really great choice.
  • schaduwoogschaduwoog Posts: 97MI6 Agent
    Christopher Nolan
  • stumac7stumac7 ScotlandPosts: 295MI6 Agent
    Christopher Nolan is a great shout.

    Really good director
  • BlitzingerBlitzinger Posts: 6MI6 Agent
    Martin Campbell
  • FitzochrisFitzochris Posts: 242MI6 Agent
    stumac7 wrote:
    Christopher Nolan is a great shout.

    Really good director

    He would be a good shout if Bond 23 was a FRWL style thriller (which is what I hope).
  • FitzochrisFitzochris Posts: 242MI6 Agent
    Blitzinger wrote:
    Martin Campbell

    And, as above, I'd have no quibble with that choice either. Loved what he did with CR and Goldeneye.
  • royalmileroyalmile Station CPosts: 115MI6 Agent
    Either:
    a) Ridley Scott, or
    b) Ridley Scott.

    Failing that, (c) Ridley Scott.
  • zaphodzaphod Posts: 1,183MI6 Agent
    some really good suggestions being made on this thread. I believe that the choice of Director should probably come after a script has at least been fleshed out and a clear idea about how to take 23 forward has been formed.
    It's hopefully non controversial to assert that the particular dynamic between EON and Bond means that an 'Auteur' type of Director is likely to struggle within the parameters of a Bond film as they are unlikely to be afforded enough room to fully develop their vision.

    If an 'Auteur' like Nolan was to be allowed the room then he would be a great choice. If not I would be happy to get Campbell back on board as he is 'a safe pair of hands', has worked effectively with the Babs & Michael show, and has delivered the goods twice.
  • PaperbillPaperbill FloridaPosts: 810MI6 Agent
    Tony Scott,

    Michael Mann,
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 21,699MI6 Agent
    There are many good candidates. Being a subject of Elisabeth II seems no longer to be a requirement, but many of them still are:

    - Christofer Nolan

    - Sam Mendes

    - Peter Weir

    - Mike Newell

    - Alfonso Cuaron

    - Fernando Meirilles
  • Christmas TounesChristmas Tounes GloucestershirePosts: 164MI6 Agent
    Q. Tarantino... could be the next step in this evolution
    1. Goldeneye 2. OHMSS 3. Goldfinger 4. TND 5. Octopussy 6. FYEO
    7. LALD 8. TWINE 9. Skyfall 10. AVTAK 11. CR 12. TLD 13. YOLT
    14. TMWTGG 15. Moonraker 16. TSWLM 17. Thunderball 18. FRWL
    19. Dr. No 20. DAF 21. LTK 22. DAD 23. QoS 24. Spectre 25. NTTD
  • HowardBHowardB USAPosts: 2,736MI6 Agent
    Ridley Scott: Excellent director, probably too expensive for EON. I wouldn't have a problem with Campbell coming back. Christopher Nolan is a great name but he's too tied up with the Batman series. Couron would certainly be interesting...seems to do just about everything pretty well, especially dark stuff which fits this current interpretation of Bond. Tarantino is way too much of wild hare for EON IMO (but he would probably do it for cheap, just to do it). Here's a long shot, off the cuff choice...Mike Hodges who directed the original "Get Carter" and "Croupier".
  • Agent WadeAgent Wade Ann ArborPosts: 321MI6 Agent
    I liked the tongue-in-cheek tone that Matthew Vaughn brought to Stardust. He had humor, action, comedy and great cinematography.

    Kevin Reynolds, known more for his period pieces with action and romance, could have the stones to do a good Bond film. He knows where to put people, and he knows how to get good pictures.

    I was originally going to suggest Frank Marshall because I liked his work on directing Congo but hot damn if he didn't produce the Bourne movies. I never knew that until just now. I'm not sure I'm ready for that bridge.

    Karyn Kusama. Seriously. If you take ego out of the equation for the movie Æon Flux and just look at the straight-up cinematography, costume design and originality, you have something really remarkable.

    Here's my NO list:
    •Michael Bay
    •David "I directed nothing but Playboy videos until I directed Inspector Gadget and dropped off the face of the earth" Kellogg
    •Roland Emmerich
    •Uwe Boll (he's done enough damage)
  • bluemanblueman PDXPosts: 1,667MI6 Agent
    Assuming somebody new, Couron seems an obvious choice and a good fit IMO.
  • Agent WadeAgent Wade Ann ArborPosts: 321MI6 Agent
    blueman wrote:
    Assuming somebody new, Couron seems an obvious choice and a good fit IMO.

    Cuarón and Mexico go hand in hand. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but just expect it if you have him doing a Bond film. He couldn't even resist using the Tenochtitlan symbol in Prisoner of Azkaban.
  • BFAzureBFAzure Posts: 10MI6 Agent
    Cuaron is good, and Campbell is an automatic choice, in my opinion.

    One I'll add to the discourse, for your review, is Tom Tykwer. His latest movie ("The International") reads like a Bond epic, and his stylistic instincts and intrepid filmmaking would be a breath of fresh air. Anyone who saw "Run Lola Run" or "Heaven" knows he can direct pacy movies with a pulse. I would love that.
  • Gassy ManGassy Man USAPosts: 2,972MI6 Agent
    Guillermo del Toro could bring the series back to elegance--watch "Pan's Labyrinth" for its style and cinematography, and you may get the "From Russia with Love" and "Goldfinger" vibe I did. Plus, he understands casting and performance.

    My guess is that Bond 23 will return the series to its 1960s-inspired roots, meaning we'll get that sense of sweep, wonder, and breezy fun that was basically short-handed in most of the Bond films after. He also seems to understand how to evoke villainy. Sergi Lopez's captain, for instance, is exactly the sort of mannered brute that makes for a good James Bond villain.

    Other directors for consideration include Roger Donaldson, whose "The Bank Job" was one of the few period movies I've seen that actually seem to be taking place in the time period, Peter Weir, Paul Verhoeven (don't laugh, his "Black Book" was pretty solid, and its lead would make a good Bond "girl"), John McTiernan (assuming he's not in jail) and, a longshot, Niki Caro, who could bring out the emotions if a second unit could direct the action scenes . . . in fact, given that Barbara Broccoli was the driving force behind Daniel Craig's hire, I wouldn't mind also seeing a woman director take a commanding presence to see if she could understand better the elements that make Bond movies meaningfully sexy.

    Shane Black did better than I expected with "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang," which had a faux Ian Fleming motif going on, so he might be someone to consider . . . perhaps, perhaps not . . . .

    I'm not opposed to Nolan, though I find his actual directing style rather plain and his fight staging/editing almost as incomprehensible as Forster's. He's aided mostly by the subject matter, but he does co-write decent scripts and get good performances. Martin Campbell is slightly better than that, especially now that he's returned to more traditional directing techniques, but I think it's too early to bring him back. I wouldn't lobby for Ridley Scott, whose reliances on the shaky cam and staccato editing, while not as manic as Forster's, is still trite. Tarantino might be tempted to turn Bond into a trashy 70s redux with a silicone-based brigade of plain but Amazonian women whose bare feet would become the slavish focus.

    What we need is someone who is both capable of the large vision a Bond film requires as well as is an actor's director--one who sees the opportunity to evoke strong performances rather than simply take us through the formulaic motions. That's tough since so many of the American directors, in particular, seem to be more focused on physical explosions than emotional ones, and the latest wave of young British directors just love the closeup and unabashedly spastic camera.
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 21,699MI6 Agent
    Gassy Man wrote:
    Guillermo del Toro could bring the series back to elegance--watch "Pan's Labyrinth" for its style and cinematography, and you may get the "From Russia with Love" and "Goldfinger" vibe I did. Plus, he understands casting and performance.

    But if you look at del Toro's list of projects I wonder if he will find time to film bond until Craig hangs up his tux for good.
  • Thomas CrownThomas Crown Posts: 119MI6 Agent
    Pud2002 wrote:
    Martin Campbell back again please :)

    Doubtful that this would happen, but that would be a great idea. If not, I'd love to see the producers pull out all the stops to get Chris Nolan, he has expressed interest.
  • BFAzureBFAzure Posts: 10MI6 Agent
    I was under the impression that Nolan only wanted to do one, and didn't want to helm another franchise for a period of time out of risk of being typecast, fitting with Campbell's concerns as well.

    Still, Nolan would be an amazing choice. I love his realist style, and as a rabid and obsessive Batman fan, he's already got my vote...the way he turned something gothic into a dark but modern story is amazing.
  • Max EMax E In the northPosts: 80MI6 Agent
    Pud2002 wrote:
    Martin Campbell back again please :)

    YEAH!
    You know in America it’s “bling, bling”, but out here it’s “bling, bang”.
  • Colonel ShatnerColonel Shatner Chavtastic Bristol, BritainPosts: 574MI6 Agent
    Martin Campbell is a solid choice and should be used as a yardstick, but don't go too fangasmic. He's a workmanlike director with a solid, user friendly directing style.

    I thought Nolan's Batman Begins had slightly more confusing and laboured action scenese than Quantum of Solace to be honest.
    'Alright guard, begin the unnecessarily slow moving dipping mechanism...'
  • Gassy ManGassy Man USAPosts: 2,972MI6 Agent
    Number24 wrote:
    Gassy Man wrote:
    Guillermo del Toro could bring the series back to elegance--watch "Pan's Labyrinth" for its style and cinematography, and you may get the "From Russia with Love" and "Goldfinger" vibe I did. Plus, he understands casting and performance.

    But if you look at del Toro's list of projects I wonder if he will find time to film bond until Craig hangs up his tux for good.
    Quite probably so, though there's always hoping. But as the Bond producers seem to jones for WASPy directors, I would be surprised if they opened the door to a Mexican director -- I don't mean to imply that they're bigoted, which I don't believe they are, but until most recently, there has been a track record of keeping things within the empire (or former empire). Del Toro may simply be off of their radar.
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 21,699MI6 Agent
    up till now (QoS) all the directors have been members of the commonwelth. Foster is swiss. also Fernando Meirilles from Brasil was offered DAD, but had the wisdom to decline.
  • delon64delon64 RiyadhPosts: 176MI6 Agent
    that alan smithee has done some great films in his time...give the job to him
  • frostbittenfrostbitten Chateau d'EtchebarPosts: 286MI6 Agent
    edited November 2008
    Gassy Man wrote:
    Tarantino might be tempted to turn Bond into a trashy 70s redux with a silicone-based brigade of plain but Amazonian women whose bare feet would become the slavish focus.

    :)) :))
  • Agent WadeAgent Wade Ann ArborPosts: 321MI6 Agent
    Gassy Man wrote:
    Tarantino might be tempted to turn Bond into a trashy 70s redux with a silicone-based brigade of plain but Amazonian women whose bare feet would become the slavish focus.

    But you may also have a lot of interesting candid conversations between the characters, not to mention a lot of voyeuristic cinematography. You can expect to see a lot of dirty, weather-worn scenery. Most importantly, you would get a splash of shocking, stark violence erupt out of nowhere. (But honestly, I'd prefer to not hear 007 talking about what McDonald's across the globe call their food.)
  • DAWUSSDAWUSS My homepagePosts: 517MI6 Agent
    Someone who knows how to insert Bond reference after Bond reference... IIRC Bond 23 should be released in what, 2012, aka the 50th?
  • LoeffelholzLoeffelholz The United States, With LovePosts: 8,988Quartermasters
    edited November 2008
    DAWUSS wrote:
    Someone who knows how to insert Bond reference after Bond reference... IIRC Bond 23 should be released in what, 2012, aka the 50th?

    I certainly hope they can resist the temptation to go overboard with that kind of thing (again :# )---but, on the other hand, it does seem a perfect opportunity to toss a few of the old standards out there: Q, Moneypenny, the assassination of M...

    Oops...that last one is mine... :v

    Re: potential directors...it's the same old paradox: the industry's leading action film directors won't willingly submit to Eon's yolk round their necks. Maybe that's changing, though...Marc Forster, though not an action director, claims to have been given relatively free reign to make the picture he wanted to make.

    Either Tony or Ridley Scott would do a fine job. I would've loved to have seen John Frankenheimer take a crack at one...or William Friedkin, in his prime.
    Check out my Amazon author page! Mark Loeffelholz
    "I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
    "Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
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